Green Wave wins in PKs

Published: Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 10:55 PM.

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Maddy Hammon made her shot for Ashbrook before McCuen stepped in goal and saved a shot by Carson Molaro to end it.

“As soon as it came off her foot, I knew where it was going,” McCuen said.

McCuen logged seven saves in all, including two during the sudden-death portion of the penalty kick shootout.

The game finished as well for Ashbrook as it started for Fred T. Foard.

Fred T. Foard’s Alexis Davis scored off a Bradshaw assist 6 1/2 minutes into the match and held the 1-0 lead until 28:37 remaining when Rachael Lee put Ashbrook on the board on an assist by Bess.

A flurry of goals followed in the final eight frantic minutes of regulation. First, Lee gave Ashbrook a 2-1 lead when she directed a corner kick by Bess with just under eight minutes on the clock. Fred T. Foard answered in almost no time as Bradshaw found the back of the net from point-blank range at the 6:55 mark.

A couple of near Ashbrook misses later, the teams headed to overtime. The Green Wave generated numerous scoring opportunities in the four overtime periods (two 10-minute periods, two five-minute periods) but couldn’t reach the net.

GASTONIA — They played to a draw during the regular season, and they seemed destined for overtime in the playoff rematch.

A goal by each team in the final eight minutes of regulation made overtime a reality, and after that wasn’t enough to resolve a 2-2 tie, Ashbrook outlasted Fred T. Foard 4-3 in penalty kicks in the second round of the 3A state playoffs Saturday night at Eccles Field.

Conner McCuen, all 5-foot-1 of her, saved Fred T. Foard’s final attempt to set off the Ashbrook celebration as the Green Wave advanced to third round of the playoffs for the second time in school history.

“We’ve prepared for this in practice, so it kind of helped,” McCuen said. “We know when you get to the playoffs, anything can happen.”

Ashbrook (18-1-2) will face Northwestern No. 1 seed St. Stephens (17-3-2) or South Mountain Athletic No. 2 Patton (13-5-1) in the second round. St. Stephens led 2-0 with 15 minutes left in the first half Saturday when play was suspended until Monday.

Georgia Belk and Mackenzie Bess converted their penalty kicks for Ashbrook during the regular five-kick shootout while Caroline Durham and Hannah Bradshaw made theirs for Foard, sending the shootout to sudden death.

Both teams missed their sixth shots. Savannah Karam then put Ashbrook ahead 3-2 and Maggie Marshall pulled Foard back into a tie.

Maddy Hammon made her shot for Ashbrook before McCuen stepped in goal and saved a shot by Carson Molaro to end it.

“As soon as it came off her foot, I knew where it was going,” McCuen said.

McCuen logged seven saves in all, including two during the sudden-death portion of the penalty kick shootout.

The game finished as well for Ashbrook as it started for Fred T. Foard.

Fred T. Foard’s Alexis Davis scored off a Bradshaw assist 6 1/2 minutes into the match and held the 1-0 lead until 28:37 remaining when Rachael Lee put Ashbrook on the board on an assist by Bess.

A flurry of goals followed in the final eight frantic minutes of regulation. First, Lee gave Ashbrook a 2-1 lead when she directed a corner kick by Bess with just under eight minutes on the clock. Fred T. Foard answered in almost no time as Bradshaw found the back of the net from point-blank range at the 6:55 mark.

A couple of near Ashbrook misses later, the teams headed to overtime. The Green Wave generated numerous scoring opportunities in the four overtime periods (two 10-minute periods, two five-minute periods) but couldn’t reach the net.

Ashbrook won multiple playoff games in the same season for the first time in school history. The Green Wave will be making its first third-round appearance since 2006, when it received a first-round bye.

Fred T. Foard (11-8-3), the Northwestern No. 3 seed, was trying to beat a No. 1 seed for the second straight round.